Program integrity issues that have heated up in the hospice space during the past five years reached a boiling point in 2023. Hospice providers have seen an array of increased regulatory oversight in 2023. That momentum has been fueled by two main concerns among regulators — risks of patient safety and evidence of malfeasance in […]
Pediatric palliative care providers can sometimes struggle to engage parents and families. Parental engagement can be a difficult hill for pediatric palliative providers to climb. Families often contend with an array of competing practical, financial and medical obstacles related to managing a serious or life-limiting illness. Parents and guardians frequently experience feelings of stress, anxiety […]
The lines of communication between hospice leaders and compliance executives need to be open and transparent in today’s regulatory environment. The complexities of hospice regulation alongside increased oversight in the space have led providers to zero in on compliance. A host of new audit activity has cropped up in recent years, as well as ramped […]
A New Jersey state bill recently passed that establishes community-based palliative care benefits under Medicaid. The new legislation includes coverage for specialized medical care, emotional and spiritual support, as well as pain and symptom relief for Medicaid beneficiaries with advanced illnesses, including both adult and pediatric populations. The state’s Department of Human Services (DHS) has […]
Recent health equity initiatives in hospice reimbursement may reverberate impacts into providers’ staff recruitment and retention strategies, particularly when it comes to leadership roles. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) in 2021 announced a “strategy refresh” that included focus on health care equity in payment model design. The Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, […]
Having a greater understanding around the impacts of trauma and abuse can help hospices improve end-of-life experiences for patients and working conditions for staff. Training and education are keys to caring for patients and employees with unique needs impacted by trauma and abuse. This is the final installment of a two-part series that digs into […]
A look back at Palliative Care News’ five most-read stories this year paints a picture of trends shaping the serious illness care space. Securing reimbursement — and the promise of value-based contracts — continues to be top of mind for many palliative care providers as they look ahead to 2024. Operators have their eyes on […]
A rich mix of hospice merger and acquisition (M&A) activity at the end of 2023 is fueling trends into next year. Hospice M&A activity has diverged from the frenzied pace set in recent years. The hospice space in the last five years has seen record-breaking multiples, a prevalence of private equity-backed platform transactions and large-scale […]
A main barrier to palliative care growth in the Medicare Advantage hospice carve-in is a lack of understanding of these services among beneficiaries, as well as inconsistent service delivery. The value-based insurance design (VBID) model is among the payment avenues that allows Medicare Advantage plans to cover palliative care as a supplemental benefit. When the […]
The Pennant Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PNTG) has inked a deal to acquire Arizona-based Southwestern Palliative Care & Hospice for an undisclosed amount, adding to its existing presence in the state. Southwestern Palliative Care & Hospice provides home-based end-of-life and serious illness care to communities in Yuma, Arizona. Founded in 2013, the hospice and palliative care […]
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